Narrative:

I was cleared for takeoff from runway xxl. Climbing through approximately 100 ft the helicopter appeared on my left. The copter was close enough to see the facial expression of the right seat pilot. I broke right to clear the copter while trying to keep clear of departure traffic on runway xxr. I called the tower and reported the near miss and asked for instructions. My pattern was changed from left turns for the left runway to right turns for the right runway. The tower controller appeared upset because his control of the traffic pattern seemed to deteriorate. The controller gave us instructions to follow airplanes we couldn't see or follow an airplane that was behind us. I made 1 touch and go then landed because of the tower problem controling the traffic. I spoke with the tower later that evening and was told that controller training was in progress. There were 3 helicopters in the runway xxl landing pattern. I was cleared for takeoff while one of the helicopters was on a close final practicing automatic rotation/engine failure lndgs. Apparently the tower lost track of the helicopters and cleared us for takeoff. Prior to me taking the runway I checked the final but only saw 1 helicopter in a high base turn. My wing confign prevented me from seeing the subject helicopter on a steep close in final. The next day I spoke with the chief pilot of the helicopter school; who further explained the incident. The situation was complicated by a radio transmission from the copter in the base turn. He asked 'do you want me to go around?' without using his call sign. The tower issued instructions to go around; but the incident copter did not respond. I don't know if the incident copter was still in a descent or was in a climb when we came together. ZZZ is a busy airport without the helicopters. We now have 2 helicopter schools on the field with 8 or 10 copters. Noise complaints from the neighbors have forced them out of their normal practice area. They are now using the runways for all their training. Helicopter operations in a training environment are just not compatible with the volume of fixed wing traffic here at ZZZ. Their training pattern of high steep close in approachs or just the opposite; long slow approach to a slow hover down the length of the runway does not mix with all other touch and go traffic at this airport. ZZZ is an airport; not a heliport. Myself and my passenger were very nearly killed because the tower is trying to pound a square peg (helicopters) into a round hole (an airport with 250000 operations a yr). Combining this mismatched traffic in a high volume airport and then throw in controller training nearly cost me my life. If I get killed flying I want it to be my mistake not yours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PILOT TAKING OFF REPORTS NMAC WITH HELICOPTER PRACTICING AUTO ROTATION AT 100 FEET AGL.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY XXL. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 100 FT THE HELI APPEARED ON MY L. THE COPTER WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE FACIAL EXPRESSION OF THE R SEAT PLT. I BROKE R TO CLR THE COPTER WHILE TRYING TO KEEP CLR OF DEP TFC ON RWY XXR. I CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED THE NEAR MISS AND ASKED FOR INSTRUCTIONS. MY PATTERN WAS CHANGED FROM L TURNS FOR THE L RWY TO R TURNS FOR THE R RWY. THE TWR CTLR APPEARED UPSET BECAUSE HIS CTL OF THE TFC PATTERN SEEMED TO DETERIORATE. THE CTLR GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW AIRPLANES WE COULDN'T SEE OR FOLLOW AN AIRPLANE THAT WAS BEHIND US. I MADE 1 TOUCH AND GO THEN LANDED BECAUSE OF THE TWR PROB CTLING THE TFC. I SPOKE WITH THE TWR LATER THAT EVENING AND WAS TOLD THAT CTLR TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS. THERE WERE 3 HELIS IN THE RWY XXL LNDG PATTERN. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WHILE ONE OF THE HELIS WAS ON A CLOSE FINAL PRACTICING AUTO ROTATION/ENG FAILURE LNDGS. APPARENTLY THE TWR LOST TRACK OF THE HELIS AND CLRED US FOR TKOF. PRIOR TO ME TAKING THE RWY I CHKED THE FINAL BUT ONLY SAW 1 HELI IN A HIGH BASE TURN. MY WING CONFIGN PREVENTED ME FROM SEEING THE SUBJECT HELI ON A STEEP CLOSE IN FINAL. THE NEXT DAY I SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF PLT OF THE HELI SCHOOL; WHO FURTHER EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT. THE SITUATION WAS COMPLICATED BY A RADIO XMISSION FROM THE COPTER IN THE BASE TURN. HE ASKED 'DO YOU WANT ME TO GAR?' WITHOUT USING HIS CALL SIGN. THE TWR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO GAR; BUT THE INCIDENT COPTER DID NOT RESPOND. I DON'T KNOW IF THE INCIDENT COPTER WAS STILL IN A DSCNT OR WAS IN A CLB WHEN WE CAME TOGETHER. ZZZ IS A BUSY ARPT WITHOUT THE HELIS. WE NOW HAVE 2 HELI SCHOOLS ON THE FIELD WITH 8 OR 10 COPTERS. NOISE COMPLAINTS FROM THE NEIGHBORS HAVE FORCED THEM OUT OF THEIR NORMAL PRACTICE AREA. THEY ARE NOW USING THE RWYS FOR ALL THEIR TRAINING. HELI OPS IN A TRAINING ENVIRONMENT ARE JUST NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VOLUME OF FIXED WING TFC HERE AT ZZZ. THEIR TRAINING PATTERN OF HIGH STEEP CLOSE IN APCHS OR JUST THE OPPOSITE; LONG SLOW APCH TO A SLOW HOVER DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE RWY DOES NOT MIX WITH ALL OTHER TOUCH AND GO TFC AT THIS ARPT. ZZZ IS AN ARPT; NOT A HELIPORT. MYSELF AND MY PAX WERE VERY NEARLY KILLED BECAUSE THE TWR IS TRYING TO POUND A SQUARE PEG (HELIS) INTO A ROUND HOLE (AN ARPT WITH 250000 OPS A YR). COMBINING THIS MISMATCHED TFC IN A HIGH VOLUME ARPT AND THEN THROW IN CTLR TRAINING NEARLY COST ME MY LIFE. IF I GET KILLED FLYING I WANT IT TO BE MY MISTAKE NOT YOURS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.